Regardless of the contact preceding the elbow, I thought it was a textbook “2”. Pretty standard stuff. I think Wemby gets calls a lot of bigs don’t get because he’s 7’5 with pool sticks for legs and easily loses balance with the same physical contact other big guys deal with.
Illini in the Pros (Basketball)
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The players did decide the game. Wemby decided to throw an elbow to a guy's face. He put himself in position to get ejected and that's exactly what happened. There's plenty of other physical ways to fight back without getting yourself kicked out of the game.
mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
I hope they are updating league training videos for the platonic ideal of a F2 foul, because that was it.
Absolutely gonzo arguments here trying to absolve him of that.
Absolutely gonzo arguments here trying to absolve him of that.
mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
He also gets away with an unprecedented number of goaltends, a trade I’m sure the Spurs are fine with
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
I don’t know if anyone here is trying to absolve Wemby of his actions, but are instead trying to explain why it got to the point where his frustration got the best of him. I was wondering all season at what point Keaton would take out his frustrations for being constantly manhandled, but to his credit, he kept his composure. (I wish Brad had gotten a T somewhere along the line to take that burden off of Keaton shoulders, but this was Brad’s year of Zen, apparently). Fears, on the other hand, was a player you could easily bait, and his frustration emerged in the form of donkey kicks.
Most players don't take swings at people without being frustrated. However, it does not matter what happened before; that was an intentional elbow, and I believe that he spotted it, so he didn't mind throwing it into the other player's face.
100%.
You can't throw elbows. That's just the reality.
However, he did very clearly get fouled on that play, getting slapped in the head. If the refs didn't miss the fairly obvious call, none of it would've happened in the first place.
Still... you can't throw elbows... but two things can be true at once. I do think those putting it on the same level as the Artest-Harden elbow and Draymond nut kicks... are a bit out of line. There's definitely context (though it doesn't validate his actions).
I’m not sure there’s ever going to be a definitive answer of how this wasn’t a foul according to high knees, who was staring at it….
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OnlyOrange
- Belleville, IL
IMHO he glanced at him, spotted his head and deliberately hit him exactly where he aimed.
blackdog
- Champaign
Now love that he made the play in the end but come on Ayo, you want to be Roddy White make that catch clean. Especially in Minny the original home of Mossing someone
Ayo played well but I wondered why he passed up several reasonably open look 3's.
Also, near then end when he got doubled on an in bounds and lost the ball, imo he was hacked several times with 2 refs looking at the play, and there was no call. You could see Ayo address this with the refs afterwards. No excuse for the refs not calling that. Coulda changed the outcome.
Also, near then end when he got doubled on an in bounds and lost the ball, imo he was hacked several times with 2 refs looking at the play, and there was no call. You could see Ayo address this with the refs afterwards. No excuse for the refs not calling that. Coulda changed the outcome.
People are defending Wemby but stars getting a pass on calls like this because of how much it affects the game is one of the bigger criticisms of the NBA and of basketball as a whole.
Sure, McDaniels caught Wemby with the errant swat at the ball, and that should have been called, but it wouldn't have negated the flagrant 2. Dead ball or not.
Sure, McDaniels caught Wemby with the errant swat at the ball, and that should have been called, but it wouldn't have negated the flagrant 2. Dead ball or not.
I wasn't watching live, and was shocked by the headline. Wemby has a clean reputation, so I went in thinking it must've been a soft call, or at least soft enough that you don't eject a star player in the playoffs for it (while technically unfair, I can somewhat understand refs making an example of a minor player to get control of a game).
Then I saw him sneak a look before throwing the elbow. It wasn't just a careless clear-out where he neglected to look before swinging.
I'm even biased because I like Jokic and don't like Ant, so I've rooted against Minn the past few years. I'm conflicted now that Ayo/TSJ have key roles- the ideal scenario was Minn winning with Ant hurt and the Illini shining, but they obviously can't shine much with Ant hogging the ball.
Then I saw him sneak a look before throwing the elbow. It wasn't just a careless clear-out where he neglected to look before swinging.
I'm even biased because I like Jokic and don't like Ant, so I've rooted against Minn the past few years. I'm conflicted now that Ayo/TSJ have key roles- the ideal scenario was Minn winning with Ant hurt and the Illini shining, but they obviously can't shine much with Ant hogging the ball.
Ayo starting
Gobert tried to pull a Jalen Rose / Kobe with Wemby.
This feels a lot like Game 2.
Effin Wemby, man 
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